1. Field of Invention
The invention relates, generally, to an illumination device of a motor vehicle and, more specifically, to a controller for controlling the device.
2. Description of Related Art
A controller for controlling an illumination device of a motor is known from, for example, DE 10 2006 031 679 A1. In the known controller, the power for supplying the illumination device—in particular, the light sources of the illumination device—are made available by a first stage of the controller, the central light controller. The power made available by the first stage of the controller is provided via the second stage of the controller, the so-called “assembly on the headlight directly to the light sources.” That means that the first stage of the controller already has to provide the supply voltage for the illumination device or light sources of the illumination device. In case the type or number of light sources of the illumination device to be provided with power changes, the hardware of the first stage of the controller—in particular, the converter device contained therein for provision of the supply voltage—must be completely re-developed and constructed so that the supply voltage provided by the first stage is adapted to the new requirements in the type and/or number of modified light sources. Thus, it is not possible to employ the known controller—in particular, the first stage of the known controller—for different illumination devices with light sources changed in type and/or number.
Thus, there is a need in the related art for a controller—in particular, the first stage of the controller—that can be used in unchanged form for illumination devices differing from one another, in particular, in type and/or number of light sources.